Self-regulation just doesn't work

Published 5:58 pm, Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Self-regulation

just doesn't work

It's easy to tell that J. Justin Wilson ("Food activists all jeer, no cheer", Dec. 10) is a mouthpiece for the food and restaurant industries who want us to buy food without meaningful safety restrictions so they can maximize their profits.

Instead of insisting on better safety regulation by the FDA to reduce outbreaks of food-borne illnesses, Mr. Wilson attacks the messenger, the Center for Science in the Public Interest. But the center did not determine which 10 foods are the riskiest for our health; rather, the center evaluated data collected from 1990 to 2006 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other sources. That data shows that "more than 1,500 separate, definable outbreaks of illnesses were associated with the top 10 riskiest FDA-regulated foods, causing nearly 50,000 reported illnesses," ranging from temporary gastrointestinal distress to long-term disability and death. The causes of these outbreaks were E. coli, norovirus, salmonella, and other pathogens.

As an example, in the case of leafy greens, there were 363 outbreaks involving 13,568 reported cases of illness. In the case of eggs, there were 352 outbreaks involving 11,163 reported cases of illness. And so on with the other foods on the list: tuna, oysters, potatoes, cheese, ice cream, tomatoes, sprouts, and berries.

The point of the center's report was not to create hysteria as Mr. Wilson seems to assert. The point was that self-regulation by the food, restaurant and related industries has been proven not to work. In its report, the center presses the U.S. Senate to follow the House and "pass legislation that reforms our fossilized food safety laws." We need to press our senators to enact this legislation and also press the FDA to end its posture of permitting self-regulation by these industries. The FDA must regulate food in ways that help ensure safety.

Toward the end of his article, Mr. Wilson switches gears and attacks vegans and animal welfare organizations for pressing for healthful foods. I'm not a vegan, but I am a vegetarian, and not only do I eat great-tasting food -- including great-tasting holiday meals -- but I'm also the healthiest person I know. I want to stay that way, and I want my family, friends, and actually everyone, to be able to rely on the foods in our supermarkets and restaurants to stay healthy.